The Life and Times of Kara Forge
by ViceroyNelson
Summary: A series of individual vignettes about 800-1000 words  about significant events in her life, both alone and with her friends, there is no set through plot as each can stand alone.  She is a fighter/monk with a knack for borrowing trouble, not on purpose.
1. Chapter 1

Early Morning in the Main Market Square

Her eyes searched the crowd and at last her gaze rested on and followed her quarry. She left her companion and without losing her tailee, she navigated the crowd and came up slowly behind him. She quietly followed him for a bit and then she removed her cloak and let it drop behind her, under the feet of the busy travellers, buyers and merchants in the street.

She quickened her pace and brushed past him, pickpocketing him as she did so. He grabbed her arm as and stopped her in the middle of the crowd. She looked at him guiltily, and he raised his hand to reprimand her for her folly. She lowered her head as if ready for the blow, and he released her arm. Her hands flew behind her back and emerged, flashing steel in the sun, she felled him with a flurry of glinting blows.

Screams and panic overtook the crowd and they scattered, fleeing the man lying in his own pool of blood in the center of the market. She fled with the crowd and rejoined her companion, who wrapped a new cloak around her and they melted into the hustle of the escaping stampede.

Inside the Orc Stronghold

Clinks, clangs, thuds, bangs, screams and war cries eminated from the throne room. The guard squad tried to open the doors found them locked and immediately began breaking them down. The noises continued until the doors fell in a heap of splintered wood.

The anxious orcs were greeted with a view of their brethren strewn about the room in various stages of death. The thrones and all other furniture were neatly arranged and the chandelier swung gently from side to side. No sign of their brothers' assailant heartened them as they filed into the room to help the dying.

As the last of the five orcs entered, suddenly a black hooded-cloaked figure appeared in the center of the dias upon which the throne sat. The orcs drew their weapons waiting for some sign of a coming attack.

The shroud rustled as arms and hands emerged to reveal two finely-crafted ladies fans that glinted in the sconce lights. The head rose to reveal the chiseled features of a young woman. She glared around the room at each guard and then purred, "Take your friends out of here they need some help." She closed her fans, sheathed them behind her back and bent to grab her pouch from under the throne.

One of the orcs tried to take advantage of her distraction, and charged her with his mace drawn. She calmly drew a fan, sliced his throat and tossed him aside. "Get out," she warned, "unless you want to suffer his fate."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is another vignette about Kara Forge. Any and all reviews are welcome! I am slowly catching up with typing up what I already have hand-written and here is the first of many updates in the next few months. I will be adding Kara's stories as chapters, and other characters will get their own stories with chapters. I am going to be adding a few characters in the next few months as well. Hope you like them as much as I do. Enjoy!**

"Kara, I found it." Corey said as he burst through her door. He was greeted by a surprising but not wholly unwelcome sight. Kara lay tangled in her blankets, one strong leg and a toned, slender arm sat outside the covers. She seemed to stir slightly at his intrusion on her nap and began stretching. Corey turned around before he got even more embarrassed. "ah sorry, Kara, I didn't know you were resting…"

"It's all right, Corey, what can I do for you? The recent travelling has made it difficult for me to rest easy." She spoke as she untangled and wrapped her blankets around herself.

"I came to inform you that I found your parents' castle. I came across it on my last supply run to Armet. It is about half a day's ride to the southwest and it looks to be in fairly rough shape. Would you like me to send a squad to survey the area before we return to Setsoha for drills?"

Kara listened intently, grateful that his back was turned because she was certain she would have looked like a wraith, or at least sick at his words. She simply sat still and tried to compose herself to respond.

"Kara?" he ventured when she remained quiet.

"Yes, Corey, ah I mean, no need to send a squad, I will survey myself. I will rest for the remained of this day and set out tonight to get there near dawn. I need the men ready to move out by early afternoon tomorrow."

"Are you certain you wish to go alone? The castle seemed partially collapsed and it might be prudent to have a partner should something happen."

"I will ride alone, with a promise to return in one piece, by avoiding searching any area that looks to fragile or dangerous." Kara rolled her eyes at his concern.

"Yes, Kara, as you wish, however I must insist on one thing." Corey boldly turned around to find her perched in a blanket wrap on the side of her cot. "You must tell me why this is so important to you. As your second in command, oldest friend present, and most importantly someone you claim to trust, I must insist you tell me so that I might understand." Kara looked up sharply and stared at him as if he had just told her he was a beholder. Then she looked at her feet, raised her hand to her forehead and sighed.

"How could I possibly refuse after such an eloquent and precise request?" Kara stood up and without trepidation began gathering her clothes, while still holding the blankets in place. "I will tell you, but I must request that you turn around once more so that I might dress while I speak. I shall attempt another nap later after I have made preparations for my ride tonight." She paused to look at him, and he watched her and as if just realizing what she had said, he quickly and apologetically turned to face her door which stood open to the hallway. As an afterthought he reached for it, and pushed it closed gently. Kara nodded her approval behind him and smirked.

"Fifteen years ago I was taken by my family out of my ancestral home because the Hunters were coming for my parents and me. To this day I am unsure about why my parents were a target, let alone myself but all I know is that my last memory of my childhood home is hiding in the glade behind it, watching the sun stream through the architecture and trees. We were unable to ride out until nightfall toward my safety because the Hunters were laying siege to our castle. My cousins kept me in the woods, moving through the trees, hiding amongst the branches and taking out a few Hunter sentries sent to survey to protect me. I have not seen my home since that morning, all those years ago. I need to see it, and possibly find some clues about what they were after. I don't want lectures about there being nothing left to find, I don't want a safety warning, and I certainly don't want you to talk me out of this. I will be back by tomorrow afternoon and we will head out for Setsoha and we will be drilling for the next fortnight. I just need time to go there, see it for myself, and return to you and the men. That a good enough explanation for you?" Kara pulled on her boots as she finished and stood to face Corey's back. "And, you can turn around now."

Corey turned back to face her and looked her up and down. "I suppose that explanation will suffice for now, but I think you know more than you are telling me, Madame Leader. However here are my terms, you can choose one option as a compromise. Either, I will have the men ready and if you have not returned by evening meal, I am leading a squad to retrieve you by force. Also, you will take, my familiar, Blackjack, with you OR you can take the rogue, Jason, and the men and I will be ready as soon as you return whenever that might be." Corey set his shoulders and stiffened his neck, waiting for her inevitable protest.

Kara's eyes widened in surprise and then smiled. "Who is in charge of this unit again?" she asked good-naturedly, "I will take Blackjack AND Jason, you just be ready to go with the men. We will return early in the afternoon tomorrow. I am not going to dig up or tear down the whole place looking for stuff, I just want to see my home again with my own eyes, and maybe see something that will help me understand what happened."

"I will find Jason and sent him to you, as well as call Blackjack when it is time. Take care of Blackjack, he is a part of me after all." Corey bowed and retreated through the door to go about his duties. Kara watched him leave and then returned to her spot on the edge of her cot, a rumble in her stomach reminded her that she had most likely slept through the mid-day meal. She itched to ride out right now toward her home, but the trained commander inside her refused to be rash and impatient. She couldn't be a bad example for her men, by not practicing what she preaches. She gathered her pack and reigned in her anxiousness. She strode out into the hallway and decided that her preparations could wait for her to slake her hunger.


End file.
